Rocker-drop-bottom car.



No. 861,390. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

- ILO. PRIBBE.

v ROOKER DROP BOTTOM OAR.

APPLIoATIoN FILED ooT. 15, 190e.

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PATENTED JULY 30, 190'?.

H. O.. PRIBBE. ROOKER DROP BOTTOM OAR.

I APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 16, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

HERMAN C. PBIEBE, OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

ROCKER-DROP-BOTTOM CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jly 3,0, 190'?.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN O. PRIEBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island,Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rocker-Drop-Bottom Cars, of which the following, taken in connection with the drawing, is a description.

My invention has for its object a rocker drop bottom :for cars, one which is designed more particularly to be used on gondola cars of either steel or wood construction. The construction of the drop bottom sections or doors of the cars are so arranged that they swing or tilt on rockers, and are adapted to be opened, after being unlocked by the weight of the load contained in the car.

Other novel features and advantages of my invention will be hereinafter more fully described.-

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I have illustrated one form of device embodying the principal features of my invention, although the same may be carried into effect in other ways without in the least departing from the spirit of my invention, and in these drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through a car body, illustrating one section of the car bottom in closed position and one in opened position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of part of a car body illustrating the mechanismI for closing and locking the movable sections; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the rocking mechanism; Fig. 4 is a detail view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail of the bolster in which the rockers operate; Fig. G is a modication of the central meeting edges of the movable fioor sections; Fig. 7 is a modified form of the end of the car-bolster illustrating the construction thereof in two pieces instead of one as shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a detail of a reinforcing plate or casting adapted to be secured to the car bolster C. Fig. 9 is a modified forni of construction illustrating the doors opening at each side of a central line through the car floor.

In carrying out my invention A represents the sides of the car having secured thereto the angle irons a.

B represents the floor of the car which is divided into longitudinal halves and each half is divided into a plurality of sections, each of which is constructed to form a rocker drop bottom which is operated as hereinafter described.

Extending transversely of the car are the car body holsters C, preferably constructed as illustrated in Fig. 5, having the uprights c cast integral therewith. A recess or slot c is provided in each half of the car bolster C. Secured to each side of each of said car bolsters, by rivets or otherwise are the castings C, each of Which is provided with a recess c2, which, when the castings are secured to the holsters, are coincident with the recesses c/. Plates D are disposed above the holsters C and secured thereto and to the bolsters are the angle irons d, d.

Resting inside of the recesses c2 are the rockers E upon which rockers the floor sections are tilted to open position. Secured to the under side of each of the floor sections is a plate F, to which is secured a brace f between which brace and place is a channel iron f.

The floor sectionsB, B, are divided longitudinally of the car as shown in Fig. l, each of said sections moving downwardly at the outer edge of the car and upwardly at the center thereof. Extendinglongitudinally of the length of the car at the center thereof, and corresponding to the length of each of said floor sections are vertically movable sections G. These sections Gr, G, have the top and ends bent at right angles to the sides thereof and are disposed along the longitudinal center of the car, where they provide a guard against the contents of the car dropping through an opening which would be left at the center of the car when the floor sections B are opened. The sides gef each of the sections G are contiguous to each other when in normal position as shown in Fig. l, and whether the fioor sections B are in open or closed position the sections G, Gr, maintain a perfect closure at the center of the car.

H is a link pivotally secured at one end to a lug projecting from the floor section and at the opposite end is pivotally secured to the section G, as shown in Figs. l, 3 and 4.

At the outside of the car and upon either side thereof are the operating shafts I, each one of which extends, preferably, although not necessarily, half the length of the car, and which are operated at each end of the car by a lever I. A ratchet t' is mounted upon the shaft I, and by means of the pawl t', locks the shaft in fixed position. The shafts I are bent to form the cranks I2.

J are links which are secured at one end to the edge of the floor sections B and at the opposite end to the cranks I. When the floor sections are in opened position, as shown in one side of Fig. l, the outer edges thereof are supported by the links J, and through the operation of the shafts I and the connecting links .I the floor sections B are brought to closed position after the load has been dumped, and locked until it is again desired to unload the car.

In Figs. 6 and 9 I have shown a modified form of construction for keeping the center of the car closed while being unloaded. In Fig. 6 I secure to the contiguous edges of each of the floor sections B the metal plates K which are curved outwardly from each other at the llower edges as shown. k, k are friction rollers arranged in proximity to the plates lc, c to facilitate the easier operation of the device. As the floor sections are opened and the inner edges thereof are raised the metal plates K close together and prevent l-any of the load from falling under the car.

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated the movable sections B, B, arranged to open outside of the longitudinal center ot the car, in which event the portion B of the car floor is stationary. The concavo-convex plates c, le are secured to the movable sections B and are adapted to close any opening between the said sections and the stationary section B/ when they are opened. When, however, in the construction of cars of this kind, it is desirable to provide means for emptying a portion of the load under the center oi the car, or at each sideof the center, I remove the plates k, lc or le, lc. By this means when the i'loor sections are tilted to open position a longitudinal opening through the car is provided through which a portion 0i the load will fall.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated another form of constructing the bolster C by casting the uprights thereon in separate pieces and securing them to the bolster by rivets as shown, or otherwise il desired.

The operation o the device is as follows: Assuming the car to be loaded at and 'a place to be dumped, an operatoror attendant unlocks the pawl t" from the ratchet 'L when the weight of the load will orce the floor sections open to the position shown in one side oi Fig. l. Each of the'iloor sections B are tilted on their rockers, raising the inner edges thereof upwardly, which through the links H elevates the vertically movable sections G thereby keeping closed the longitudinal center oi the car. After the car has been emptied the operator turns the lever I upwardly and closes the sections and locks them in position.

I claim:

under said car body, said holsters having slots therein,

rocking mechanism operating in said slots, and means for 'supporting said sections upon the rocking mechanism.

2. In a car, the combination of the car body having a plurality of sections forming the bottom thereof, holsters disposed transversely of said car, rocking mechanism be tween said holsters and the aforesaid sections, and means for rocking said sections to open position.

3. In a car, the combination of the car body havingy the bottom thereof divided into longitudinal halves and each of said halves divided into sections, mechanism for tilting said sections to open position, and means for closing the longitudinal center of the car when said sections are` opened.

4. In a car, the combination of a car body having the bottom thereof divided into a plurality of sections which are adapted to lower from the'outer edges of the car, holsters beneath said car body, mechanism for tilting said sections to open position between the holsters, mechanism movable with said sections for closing the opening formed at the center of the car when the sections are in opened position, and mechanism for locking said sections in closed position. Y

5. ln a car, the combination of a car body having the bottom thereof divided into a plurality of sections, rocking mechanism upon which said sections are adapted to be tilted to open position, and vertically movable sections operated by the movement of the aforesaid floor sectionsy substantially as described.

6. A car having the bottom thereof divided into longitudinal halves and each of said halves divided into sections, car holsters, tilting or rocking mechanism supported by said holsters and upon which said sections are operated to open the same, means for closing the opening -formed at the center of the car door when the doors are in opened position and mechanism at the outside of the car to lock said sections in closed position.

7. A car having the bottom thereof divided into longitudinal halves and each of said halves divided into sections, car holsters havingr slots or recesses therein, reinforcing castings secured to said holsters, said castings having recesses coincident with the recesses in the bolsters, rocking mechanism supported in the aforesaid recesses and having secured thereto the aforesaid floor sections, and means for tilting or rocking said sections to open position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN C.'PRIEBE.

Witnesses l G. W. JOHNSTON, JAMES P. CRANE. 

